Modern automobiles are used for family transportation, industrial work applications, and weekend outdoor sports activities. Materials used in automobiles for seating, load floor applications, trunk linings, package trays, floor carpeting, door panel trim, and interior trim applications must be pleasing to consumers. Such materials must be attractive, soft, and resist soiling and water damage. Further, such materials must be durable to abrasion for extensive use.
A common material used in modern automobiles for such applications is nonwoven material. Some of these materials are formed by a needle punching, or “needling” process, in which a large batch of raw fibers are loaded into a machine and then fed to a carding apparatus. The fibers are oriented and laid together to form a plane. The fibers are punched with numerous needles. The needles include barbs so that each time needles enter the fabric plane, they carry fibers from the outside to the inside. In this way, fibers can be formed into an integrated nonwoven fabric. In some applications, a pile is applied to one or more sides of the fabric, to provide a soft texture, which makes the fabric desirable for product applications that will receive human touch or contact, such as automotive trim applications.
There is a continuing need in the design of modern automobiles to provide water resistance in those portions of the automobile which receive significant amounts of wet contact or wet cargo. Furthermore, it is an important safety factor to provide materials for automotive (or non-automotive) use which are flame retardant, and will not readily burn. Also, many manufacturers request that materials used for such applications be recyclable, or otherwise environmentally benign.